1. Breastfeeding is universally recommended.

I have searched high and low and I have not been able to find a single medical organization that recommends formula feeding in lieu of breastfeeding.

Let’s review a few statements from medical organizations around the world.

Here’s what the World Health Organization says about breastfeeding:

“Breastfeeding is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers.

As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health.

Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.

Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production.”

Canadian Paediatric Society:

“Breastfeeding – exclusively for the first six months, and continued for up to two years or longer with appropriate complementary feeding – is important for the nutrition, immunologic protection, growth and development of infants and toddlers.”

2. Breast milk is different than formula

Okay, please don’t be offended by that statement! Again, this isn’t about “breast is best” or “fed is best” or what is better for you and your family.

It’s not about making anyone using formula feel guilty or “less than”…Taking the emotion and setting it aside, scientifically if you look at breast milk’s ingredients and components in comparison to formula, breast milk is the winner by a landslide.

Ingredients breast milk has that formula does not

Omega 3’s

While some formula contains added DHA, breast milk is specially formulated to give your baby a boost in the beginning, and slowly DHA levels decline as the baby gets older.

These fats build baby’s growing brain and body. They also protect the child from adult heart and central nervous system diseases.

The type of fats found in breast milk are very easily digested and absorbed.

Specialty Proteins

While formula does contain protein, it doesn’t contain the human variety. In breast milk the ratio of whey to casein is the perfect balance, allowing it to be more easily digested.

Lactoferrin is a type of protein found only in breast milk that inhibits certain types of bad bacteria from growing in baby’s gut.

Secretory IgA is a type of protein that protects the baby from viruses and bacteria. (Also E. Coli!)

The really cool thing about this is that when the baby or mother is exposed to a certain germ, mom’s breast milk will change in composition to produce the antibodies the baby needs to protect it from illness.

(Not to say breastfed babies don’t get sick at all, but IgA is powerful stuff to help keep them well and when they do get sick, help them recover more quickly.)

Lysozyme is also a protein enzyme that is an antimicrobial and protects against E. Coli and Salmonella. It also helps promote healthy flora in the gut and is anti-inflammatory.

Fascinating breast milk research:

In 2012, Duke University researchers published a study in the journal Current Nutrition & Food Science.

In the study, researchers grew bacteria in samples of whole milk, cow’s milk formula, soy-milk formula, and breast milk. (The bacteria grown were two strains of E. coli bacteria.)

The study reported that the bacteria began growing within all the specimens right away. In the breast milk specimens, the bacteria stuck together and made biofilms.

(Biofilms are like shields – thin layers that protect against infections.) In contrast, the soy and cow milk samples “proliferated wildly” and grew as individual organisms, not coming together to form a protective barrier.

(Did you see this photo on Facebook that went viral a while back? These are Petri dishes of bacteria with a drop of breast milk in the center. You can literally see how the milk is killing the bacteria around it!)

Other immune boosters in breast milk are immunoglobulins, also known as antibodies.

We already talked about a few above in the protein section, but it’s also worth mentioning that there are molecules produced in the urinary tract of breastfed babies that protects him or her from urinary tract infections.

Bioavailable vitamins and minerals

While formula also contains vitamins and minerals, breast milk has higher bioavailability and is more easily absorbed in babies.

Formula manufacturers have to compensate for the decreased bioavailability, so they add more vitamins and minerals than the baby needs. This also makes formula harder to digest than breast milk.

Enzymes and Hormones

Breast milk contains digestive enzymes (lipase and amylase) which are good for intestinal health.

Hormones such as thyroid, prolactin, oxytocin, and many others help with the baby’s biochemical balance.

3. Benefits of breast milk for mom, too.

Reduced risk of postpartum hemorrhage

The hormones released when baby suckles at the breast after birth produces contractions in the uterus to help prevent postpartum hemorrhage. These contractions also help the uterus shrink back down to a non-pregnant state.

Decreased risk of breast cancer

Not breastfeeding (or breastfeeding for less than three months) increases your risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding between 4-12 months can decrease your breast cancer risk by 11 percent.

If all breastfeeding mothers breastfed for 24 months or longer, their risk of breast cancer would be reduced by nearly 25 percent.

Decreased risk of osteoporosis

One study conducted showed that women with osteoporosis who did not breastfeed were 4 times higher.

Decreased risk of ovarian cancer

A multinational hospital-based study conducted between 1979 and 1988 showed that either short-term or long-term lactation “may provide a great reduction in risk.”

Making milk burns calories

Eat up, mama! Making milk burns an estimated 300-500 calories per day making that liquid gold.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. I’ve been seeing a ton of pumping tips floating around on Pinterest lately — which is great! I love helping moms learn to pump more milk for their babies, and I […]

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. If you’re reading this article, chances are: You’ve just had a baby and your breast milk isn’t coming in fast enough. You’re pregnant and want to know how to prepare for […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. How to achieve a FASTER Milk Letdown Ah, the elusive letdown. Whether you’re pumping and nothing’s coming out, or baby is fussy at the breast because milk just isn’t flowing like she […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. Worrying about having low milk supply can be so draining, frustrating and confusing. The good news is, the vast majority of moms can make enough milk to feed their baby with the […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. If you’re pregnant and planning to breastfeed, chances are you’re researching everything you can to help yourself prepare ahead of time. (Good for you for doing your research, mama! It’s so important!) […]

10 Little-Known Tricks to Pump More Breast Milk (Today!) This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. Is there anything more frustrating than being stuck to a breast pump but hardly anything comes out? I’ve been there, mama! In fact, […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. A nursing strike can be devastating to a mama. Breastfeeding wasn’t easy when my son was born. We had SO many complications. I had to exclusively pump for a while after I […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. Happy World Breastfeeding Week! I am SO excited to spend this week with you and I have some EPIC ways to celebrate up my sleeve!! World Breastfeeding Week officially kicks off on […]

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure for more info. Mamas, let’s chat about pumping.I love that it allows me the convenience of expressing all that liquid gold for my babies. But it used to take me so much time to gather […]

Posts navigation

Newsletter

Email address:

About Me

Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marianna - a homeschool mom by day and a mental health counselor by night. I'm passionate about supporting and encouraging other moms. Click the first circle below to learn more!